Post #264061 by Paipo on Thu, Nov 2, 2006 12:39 PM

You've got it Benz...carving with the finer grit burrs will leave smoother surfaces, but they do wear out quickly, so use them sparingly for detailing etc. As for the machined look - Time! Hours of sanding out the cuts using the burrs, but with much less water and on lower speeds. This is where experience comes to the fore, as the burrs like to catch when there's no water to lubricate them, so you need to use a light hand. Getting rid of fine tool marks is probably the most frustrating part of the whole process.

I personally like the taiaha head a lot how it is now, because it has that nice chiselled look to it. I am going to start doing a few pieces quicker and less machined looking for this very reason, and also to make them more affordable.